Metal keg



Patented Feb. '24, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE EUGENE MITTINGER, OF CLEVELAND HEIGII'TS,V OHIO.

METAL KEG.

Application filed January 26, 1923. Sera1 No; 615,156. l

To .all whom t may concern:

' Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Mrr'riNGnR, la citizen of the United States,`residing at Cleveland Heights, Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'y Y -tion is to provide a container head having in Metal Kegs, of which the following is a specification, reference being vhad Atherein uto the accompanying drawing. l

This invention relates to improvements in metalv kegs, and more particularly y,to a head and cover for a metal keg which is primarily adapted as a metallic container for transporting bolts, rivets and nails, to take the place of the ordinary wooden keg 'that is now used forthat purpose.

The particular adaptation of my improved head and cover, as shown in the accompanying drawings, is for use with a metallicvkeg of a knock-down construction, which is composed of a plurality of interlocking staves, whereby when the keg is shipped in a knocked-down state, the parts thereofl can be placed in nestled relation to reduce the space it will assume in a freight car, or the like, and can bequickly assembled by the user as the need may arise.

Although, I have shown and 'described my novel construction of head and cover for use with a knock-down container of a construction similar to that set forth in my pending application Serial No. 555,989, filed April 22nd 1922, Iwish it to be understood that my inventionv can be used with containers of a different'construction, Without departing from the spirit and scope of. my invention.`

I have found that'where a container is entirely assembled with the exception of the head, that it will be sprung o ut of shape as the container is'filled with any heavy material and that due to this springing of the container,'it will be impossibleV to put the head on the same after it'has been filled.

One of the objects of 'my invention is to overcome the springing or wrenching. of the container out of its normal shape during the process of filling or loading it.- I

Another object of 'my invention is to provide a container head and cover Vtherefor having novel features of construction, which will be hereinafter more specifically pointed out.

v A further object of my invention is to provide a container'head and co-vertherefor, @instructed .in such' a' manner that either the head or the cover, or both, may be relmoved from the conta-incr as desired.

' opening which is closed by a two-part cover.`

Another and vfurther object of my invenL an opening therein and being of a novel construction wherebythe head will receive and lretain a two-part-cover,having -novel features of construction whereby the cover parts are locked one to the other and tothe container head.V Other and further objects, improved results, and novel features of construction of my invention will appear in the following f description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure l is al perspective view of a con tainer showing the application thereto lof my improved container head.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the container showing the application thereto of my improved container'liead with the two-part cover being applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary vertical sectional View of a container showing the application of my improved head and cover thereto.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the manner of locking the two parts of the head cover to each other. Y

Heretofore, containers have been provided witha complete head which is "rcmow able for the purpose oflilling 4thesame. A container having a construction of this nature. is subject to the springing and wrenching action above referred to, which renders 1itvery difficult and practically impossble to ,apply the head to the container after the same has Vbeen filled. I have provideda construction which overcomes this undesirable feature and additionally provided a ,construction whereby the container will not break under the rough usage it would receive and will Valso stand being thrown ioo Referring now to the drawings, in which like parts are designated throughout the drawings by similar reference numerals, A represents the container sides, B the container head, and G and D the two parts of the container head and cover.

The container sides A, to which my 'unproved head and cover are shown applied, has a plurality7 of upwardly projecting tongues or beads 5.

My improved container head B is, in reality, a ring which has al downwardly projecting circumferential outer flange 6, topped by an upper edge 7, and approxilnately paralleled by an inner downwardly extending wall S. rldhe container head B terminates at its inner edge in a backwardly bent or rolled U-shaped circumferential groove 9, which surrounds the opening 10 in the head.

The top edge T of the container head B is provided with a plurality of openings 11, to receive the upwardly extending. tongues 5 of the container sides A.

Aswill be readily understood, the head B is lowered upon. the upper ends of the container sides A, in such a` manner that the tongues 5 will protrude through the openings 11 of the head. The flange 6 and the inner wall 8 of the head will parallel the inner and outer sides of the container sides and the tongues 5 will be bent downwardly and inwardly, as clearly appears in Figs. 1 to 3 ofthe drawings, and thus locl the head in place upon the container.

The head covers C and D each compose a half circle and when in place upon the head will completely close the opening 10 therein. Each of the head portions C and D comprises a bottom 13, having a surrounding upstanding wall 111, terminating in a flat upper edge 15 having a. down- .wardly and inwardly bent edge 16, which forms, when the two halves of the cover are united, a circumferential U-shaped groove upon the under s'de of the upper edge 15 ofthe cover, as clearly appears.

The head covers C and D are placed upon the head in the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, with theU-shaped groove of the covers engaging and sliding upon the U-.sh'apedI groove 9, of the head B. These interlocking grooves will hold the head coversin place upon the head and it remainsnow onlyto Aloclrthe two cover portions .one' to the other.

Thefcover C isprovided at the inner edge of 'its bottom with a -vertically 11p-standing edgefor wall 17, which extends completely across the cover, as clearly appears in Figs.

..2 and .41. .ofthe drawing. 'These same figures show the-inner edge of the bottom of the Cover-portion D, provided with a U-shaped channelpl, extending entirely acrossI the width of this cover..

Vt-ion 23.

As the two cover portions are slid upon the U-shaped groove 9 of the head towards each other', the Lip-standing wall 1T of the coverportion C abuts the vertical wall 19 of the U-shaped channel of the cover portion D, and the bottom of the cover portion C is supported upon the bottom 20 of the U-shaped channel 18 of the cover portion D. To lock the two cover portions one to the other, it remains only to bend or crimp the top 21 of the U-shaped channel 18Y downwardly over the vertical wall 17 of the cover-portion C, as clearly appears in Fig. 1- of the drawing.

Attention is directed to the fact that the head B is bent upwardly as at 22, so that when the covers C and D are in place upon the head, their upper edges 15 will be approximately En the same plane as the upper edge 7 of the head. This construction is provided so that the kegs or containers can be readily stacked one upon the other.

1t may be desired to provide a sealing means for the two head port-ions C and D, and to provide for this, I `have slit the top 21 of the channel 18. as at 22, and have provided interniediate these slits a cut-out porrl`he wall 1T of the head C is providedV with an opening 24 and the vertical wall 19 of the channel 18 is provided with an opening 25'. t will be readily apparent that when the top 21 of the channel `18 is bent downwardly between the slits 22 therein, that a wire carrying a seal, or some similar sealing means, can be passed through the openings 24 and 25 in thel walls 17 and19 respectively of the cover portions, and thus seal them together toprevent unlawful tampering with the contents of the container.

It will also be readily understood that this sealing` could be utilized without providing the slits-22 and having only inthe top 21' of the U-shaped channel the cutout portion 23,

so that when the top vr21 is bent downwardly,

the sealing member could he passed through the openings, as previously described.

Tith the slits 22 provided` the container head portions can be sealed before they are locked together by bending downthe entire length ofY the top 21 ofthe U-sha-ped channel 18. Occasions may arise wherefit would be desirable to seal the container and yet not lock the head portions together.

I wish it to be clearly understood that my head cover construction is not at all limited to the use of knock-down or sectional containers. My construction can be adapted to be used with containers of different constructions without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

A container head and cover constructed-'in accord-ance with my invention has. proven to have great strength and when theparts are in position a loaded containerl canv be dropped from a considerable height and the hea-d and cover remain intact. In addition it will be readily understood that the head B is put in place upon the container betore the same is loaded or iilled, and that the head will Yprevent the springing ot the container as the same is iilled, thus @ferro-ming the serious objection hereinbetore spoken ot. It remains then, Vwhen the container is loaded, merely to slip the cover portions in place and locktheni to have the container ready for shipment.

Attention is also directed to the :tact that in removing the contents trom the container, after the cover portions have been removed, there are no rough or jagged edges to cut the hand or wrist as it is inserted into the container. It will also be readily apparent that should the desire or necessity arise, the head B, in addition to the cover portions C and-D, can be removed trom the container when it is desired to empty the same, and for some reason the opening 10 in the head is not suliciently large.

I have shown and described my construction of container head and co-ver as applied to only the top of the container. Ordinarily, a solid head covery would close the bottom end ot the container. Should it be desired, a container head and cover construction, constructed in accordance with my invention, could be used on both ends ot' the container.

Attention is directed to the fact that the top 2l ot the U-shaped container 18 has a slight downward slant or taper as clearly appears in the drawing. The purpose ot this construction is that this top will bek more easily bent downwardly to lockthe vertical wall 17 in place bv means: of a pairA of pinchers or so-me similar tool.

It will also be readily apparent that the interlocking connection bet-Ween the covers C and D lie wholly within the depressed bottoms ot these heads so that the top ot the U-shaped channel is practically in the same plane as the top ot the covers and therefore in no way impair the stacking of one container upon another. Should this: interlocking connection extend above the top of the head covers the containers would not stack level one upon another.

Having thus vdescribed my invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.Y A11 enclosure for containers or the like, comprising a head having an opening therein, a transversely divided two-part cover having its periphery adapted to lock with the head, and the inner edges of the cover parts having tip-standing projections adapted for interlocking connection ot the cover parts.

2. In a container or the like, an end closure comprising a removable head having an opening therein, a transversely diing a central opening provided with a opening, and the cover having sliding invided two-part cover for closing said opening, means to lock the head to the container, and lmeans to lock the cover parts to the head and to each other.

3. In a container or the like, a removable head having a central opening therein, a transversely divided cover tor closing the head opening, the head` locked to the container by means of rip-standing ears beyond the container bent downwardly upon the 7 head, and the head cover slidably locked in relation with the head, tor the purpose described.

4.. In a container or the' like, a head hav- 80 groove, a cover tor clos-ing said head opening, and means carried by thecover to slidably engage the said head groove to lock the cover upon the head, lfor the purpose described.

5. In a container or the like, a head having a central opening therein surrounded by a groove, a cover for closing the said head opening, the cover comprising two-parts each of which is provided with slidable means to engage the head groove to retain the cover parts in place upon the head, for the purpose described.

6. In a container or the like, a head having a central opening therein, a transversely divided two-part cover for closing the head opening, the head and the cover parts having grooves adapted to engage for the purpose of holding the cover upon the head, and means to lock the cover parts to each 1 other.

7 A cover for a container or the like, comprising two semi-circular parts, one ot said parts having a vertical wall at its inner edge, the other part having a U-shaped 105 channel at its inner edge adapted to receive the vertical wall of the other part, and the top of vthe U-shaped channel bent downwardly to lock the said vertical wall within the channel, for the purpose described.

8. In a container or the like, a removable head having a central opening therein, upstanding ears upon the container end adaptedto pass through openings in the container head and engage the head to retain it 115 in place upon the container, a two-part cover for closing the container head opening, the

-cover parts in sliding locking engagement with the head, and means to lock the cover parts one to the other when they are in position to close the said head opening.

9. In a container or the like, a head having a central opening therein, a transversely divided two-part cover tor closing said head terlocking connection with the head, for the purpose described.

10. InV a vcontainer or the like, a head having a central opening therein, a transversely divided two part cover ifor lClosing Sad 139 head opening, and the pcriphcries of the head opening and the cover having interlockingl connection, for the purpose described.

ll. In a container or the like, a head having a central opening therein, a cover for said head opening, and the peripheries of the head opening` and the cover bent to torni channels adapted for sliding interlocking` connection, for the purpose described.

12. In a container or the' like, a head having; a central opening therein, a two part cover tor closingl said head opening, and the inner edges of the cover parts having upstanding projections adapted for interlocking` connection ot the cover parts, for the purpose described.

13. In a container or the like, a head having a central opening therein, a transversely divided two-part cover for closing said head opening, sliding interlocking connection between said cover and head, and the parts arranged whereby the outer top edge of the head and the top of the cover are in the saine plane whereby one container can be stacked upon another.

14. In a container or the like, a head having a central opening therein, a two part cover for closing said head opening,y the cover parts provided with a central depressed porti'on, an interlocking connection between the cover parts Wholly within said depressed portion of the cover parts, Whereby the containers can be stacked one upon another.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'ix my signature.

GEGRGE EUGENE MlTTINGER. 

